Young Love
by Forever Nintendo
Summary: Post-TJM. A few scenarios depicting the newly blossomed relationship of romance between one of P.S. 118's hottest couples. Stories of true love.
1. In Arnold's Room

**NintendoGal55: Hello one and all, and welcome back! :D I've been crazy into collabs lately, but that's because they're super special awesome and fun! Today we have quite a treat in store for you, oh yes we do! A three act one-shot with our favourite couple!**

**HAFanForever: Hello all! This is my first real fanfic, even if it's a collaborative work. This story is based on one of the many ideas I have shared with NintendoGal55. We are both very much on the same page about Arnold and Helga being an awesome pair, and that's why we have started this new story together! :D**

**The following is a Nintendo Forever Production, written by NintendoGal55 and HAFanForever. This takes place after TJM, and some of the material in this story includes details based on thoughts by HAFanForever on how TJM would have turned out.**

**Disclaimer: We do not own **_**Hey Arnold!**_** or any of the characters, we're merely just fans making stories in our own interpretations./But as fans, we try to keep the characters in character from the show as much as possible.**

**Credit for the "Tying Up Loose Ends" scene and dialogue goes to limey404 of deviantART, for her awesome comic. :D**

**XXXXXX**

One Saturday morning, Helga was over at Arnold's house, where they were working in his room on a project about a particular animal, which, in their case, was the lion. Tomorrow, they were planning to visit the zoo to get pictures of real lions, including some cubs that had recently been born. They usually alternated from each other's houses since they'd began dating, and now today they were working at his house. Once more, they were paired together; even in the fifth grade, they were still paired up together most of the time.

For the moment, they were sprawled on the floor, a couple of textbooks open beside them, their little notebooks, pens and pencils, and a piece of Bristol board where they would glue on some pictures and notes onto it to present their project.

"It's funny how it's the lionesses who do most if not all the hunting, ain't it, Arnoldo?" Helga remarked playfully.

"That's usually because of their higher speed, isn't it?" Arnold jotted something down in his notes and looked at her.

"Apparently." Helga stood up and stretched her body. "Hey, I'm gonna go onto the online Encyclopedia and print some pictures we could use."

"Go ahead," Arnold gestured to his computer.

Helga went over to his desk and sat down at his computer, clicking away as she searched the online Encyclopedia. As she researched, Arnold then took to sitting on his couch while reading his textbook, studying through it on the African lion. For a while, they read, browsed, and researched in contended silence, which was a normal occurrence between them when they weren't doing much of anything that didn't require physical activity. It was funny how their moments together could range from passionate and fun, to quiet and calm, pretty much the best of both worlds, in a sense.

After some time, Arnold looked toward Helga and found himself smiling as she sat there, typing away at the keyboard or clicking the mouse as she browsed photos of lions. He had to admit, she was pretty cute when she concentrated so much, all focused on what she was doing with determination and pure will. It was like she could do anything if she put her mind to it.

Arnold was also thinking about how over the past year when he and Helga were partnered for a few school projects before, especially with the egg. Back then, she had mercilessly teased and insulted him everyday in school. When assigned to take care of the egg and pretend like he and Helga were a couple looking after a baby, he immediately thought she was going to start bullying and teasing him, and they soon started fighting afterwards for the rest of the day, losing the egg twice in the process. He also remembered how he told her that he would much rather work with Lila, and that she (Helga) was not one of his favorite people.

But as he sat here now, working on this new project with Helga, he knew that he changed his mind about Lila and Helga a long time ago.

Ever since last year, when Arnold had saved his neighborhood from being destroyed, discovered that Helga was "Deep Voice," (the source of his information) and that she had confessed to him that she really loved him...well, that was the moment when things between them were never the same again.

He and Helga had agreed that it was just in "the heat of the moment," but for a good reason. Arnold wanted to take the time and think about his feelings for Helga after what she did for him, and to be fair and honest with her and himself. Over the next several months, including after they had finished fourth grade, Arnold thought about his feelings for Helga carefully, and even went to see Dr. Bliss, the school psychologist, a few times to get some help.

After October 5th, which was the anniversary of the day Arnold's parents had left him eight years before, and the day he found his father's old journal (which detailed his adventures in San Lorenzo), Arnold began to have an even bigger awakening. He had won an essay contest that allowed him and his classmates to take a trip down to San Lorenzo. But he was determined to find his parents using a map he found in the journal. After several exhausting days of searching deep in the dense and dangerous jungles, Arnold had finally accomplished his mission, but he didn't do it alone: he had help from Helga G. Pataki.

This made him think even more about how he saw Helga: when he was determined to save his neighbourhood, he succeeded in the end, all because Helga had helped him. Now, in an even bigger mission of searching for his parents after their eight-year absence, he had accomplished this one, too, and it was all because Helga helped to do it. Before they went home, Arnold had taken Helga aside to talk to her. While she tried putting up her front again and said there was no need to thank her in helping him find his parents, Arnold said he wanted to tell her that he was not only thanking her, but that he loved her, too.

_Taking Helga aside away from the crowd and into the trees to be alone with her, Arnold felt his stomach tighten for what was about to happen now. He had to talk to her about all of this, he had to thank her, and moreover, had to tell her a very important thing...in regards to her feelings._

_But it wasn't going to be easy. He was nervous, and certain she would just put up her front again in an attempt to make things go back to the way they were._

_Not this time. He was not going to let that happen._

"_Criminy, football head, you don't have to thank me!" Helga said, pulling her hand away. "So I helped you find your parents, big deal! I couldn't just sit back and let something bad happen. I'm not THAT heartless!"_

"_Helga...you've done a lot of things for me that have really helped and done out of sincere effort. You may not always succeed, but you try, and I always appreciate it. But this...Helga, this goes far beyond just an act of genuine kindness. Same when you helped me and Gerald save the neighbourhood from the FTi. And now this, you risked your entire life to help me find my parents and to stop La Sombra. Like I said before, that's an amazing thing to do for someone you claim to hate."_

"_I _do _hate you, hair boy! Haven't I told you before? Did it not get through your thick, football-headed skull?" She knocked on his head lightly with her fist._

"_That's not going to work, Helga." Arnold said firmly, but patiently. "I know how you feel about me."_

"_I don't know what you're talking about." Helga backed away a step, seeming arrogant and indignant, but he caught the look of nervousness in her eyes._

"_Yes, you do. What you told me before, back on the rooftop of the FTI building, that wasn't in the heat of the moment. What you did there, you had all of that planned. And you did it because you..." A blush came to his face. "Because you love me. Not a lot of girls your age give up getting rich for a boy they like. And now you risked your own life just to help me find my parents. Helga, if that isn't love...then what is?"_

"_This whole jungle thing must have gotten to your head, or you contracted a jungle disease! That's it, you can't be serious...just stop there before you hurt yourself!" Again she looked very nervous, but trying to hide it._

"_Helga, I'm serious." Arnold grabbed her by the shoulders, gently. "You've done all those great things for me. Especially now with helping me find my parents... That means so much to me, it really does. I can't thank you enough. So...thank you, really, thank you." He smiled brightly. "And well...that's not all I wanted to say."_

"_Yadda yadda yadda, I helped you, you thanked me, you're welcome, now let me go!"_

"_No Helga, please, hear me out."_

"_Forget it, I've heard enough!" Helga tried to move away, but it was futile._

"_Listen to me, please!" He practically begged. "You'll want to hear what I have to say."_

"_Let go of me, football head!"_

_Ignoring her, he shook his head. "Helga, I... I wanted you to know that I...I feel the same way about you."_

"_I said let me go or I'll-...what?" Her eyes widened._

"_I feel the same way about you, I've thought a lot about it and-"_

"_Wait, stop! You can't love me...no! You're just grateful that I helped you save your parents!"_

"_Yes, I am grateful, very grateful in fact, but that's not the reason."_

"_It has to be! You could never love me! I mean criminy I've tormented you for ages! No, you're just confused, you don't love me, you can't possibly."_

"_I do, Helga."_

"_No, you don't! Just stop it, Arnold, I don't need this! Just thank me and we'll be done with it!"_

_His grip on her shoulders tightened. "Helga, I feel the same way about you. I like you like you...well, more than that, even. And I'll prove it."_

"_You could never even come close to proving-mmmm..."_

_Before she could finish, Arnold had leaned up to her level and touched his lips to hers with a kiss of his own, proving to her once and for all that his words were true, that he truly did feel the same way. If a kiss would be what it took to prove it to her, then so be it. _

_A soft, nearly inaudible gasp had escaped her, and he could feel her trembling lightly, but she relaxed and pretty soon was kissing him back, his stomach filling with butterflies. Her hands came sliding gently up his arms and stopping at his neck and head, bringing him just a little closer..._

"_Arnold! Helga! C'mon guys, the bus just came and we're leaving so-" Gerald's yell from nearby suddenly interrupted them, making the two of them jump apart as if the ground had been struck by lightning. He raised an eyebrow at the two of them, having caught them, even if just half a second or two, kissing. Actually kissing. "Er...what are you guys doin'?"_

"_N-Nothing...she just...we... She had something in her eye." Arnold stammered, blushing furiously._

"_Also had a...mosquito on my lip, and he was trying to kill it." Helga tugged at her collar, her brain too fried to think of a good excuse._

_Gerald stared at them, eyebrow raised, before he gave a knowing smirk and crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Whatever you say. C'mon, everyone's getting on the bus, we're leaving now."_

_As he walked off, Arnold looked over at Helga, who stared back at him, also blushing quite a bit, before they followed after Gerald, a little awkward and yet ecstatic all at once._

Since they came back to Hillwood, Arnold's feelings for Helga grew stronger everyday and the two of them became inseparable. He truly loved being with her and just being around her.

Their classmates had begun to suspect, even when they'd been leaving San Lorenzo, that something had been going on between them, and were teasing them quite a bit on the trip back, especially since they sat next to each other on the plane. Inevitably, they'd fallen asleep on the plane against each other, after such a long and tiring journey through the dangerous and dense jungles of San Lorenzo... They'd gone there on a field trip, with Arnold in search of his parents, and they all went back safe and sound. Arnold came back not just with his parents, but also, with things never the same between him and Helga.

Their classmates didn't understand why Arnold would have feelings for Helga. They were so sure that Helga hated Arnold because of the way she teased and pranked him. And while Arnold didn't seem like the kind of person who hated people, they still thought he wouldn't care for Helga at all due to the way she treated him. Many of the kids referred to them as "the Saint-like do-gooder and the aggressive troublemaker," and believed that the two of them were a true mismatch. Rhonda was one who especially thought that: "Arnold and Helga together? That is so utterly ridiculous. They couldn't be more opposite. Arnold is nice and Helga is not. He is better off with Lila, they match up better."

But Arnold's crush on Lila ended long before their adventure in San Lorenzo, and since his confession to Helga, he slowly but surely realized his feelings for her were more than a crush.

It was love, true love.

Before he had confessed to Helga at the end of their trip, Arnold had come to realize that the two of them were actually perfect for each other. While they were both very complex people and could be polar opposites at times, they had enough in common to get each other, and common interests with which they could have fun and share. And while he had common interests and a similar in personality shared with Lila, the two of them were just not compatible since they were too alike. Arnold had differences with Helga, both with qualities and flaws, but that only made them stronger and complimented each other, giving just what the other person needed. Since they had been together, Helga was gradually shedding her walls and defenses and trying to be more herself, but there were times that her aggressive behavior was necessary because she could keep Arnold on his toes and give him strength to be more assertive. If she still went overboard with her aggression, Arnold was able to calm Helga down, and yet he still showed her kindness and hope.

When they returned from San Lorenzo, Arnold immediately started bonding with his parents because they all realized that, after the long absence, they had some serious catching up to do, and Miles and Stella just wanted to be with their little boy after having missed so many years of his childhood with him. Phil and Gertie were shocked and happy at the same time when Arnold returned from San Lorenzo and had his parents right behind him when he first entered the boarding house. The five of them spent a great deal of time together, though Arnold also wanted to spend time alone with just his parents.

During this time, Arnold and Helga didn't speak to each other, and Helga feared that is was, once again, in "the heat of the moment," that Arnold wanted to take back what _he_ said and only kissed her because he was grateful for her help in stopping La Sombra and reuniting him with his parents. But one day, nearly two weeks since the trip, Arnold came over to Helga's house because he wanted to get everything sorted out once and for all.

...

_Helga came downstairs after Bob had called her down, announcing that one of her friends was here, obviously Phoebe. Not quite what she had in mind, but at least she'd have something to do and think about for a while._

"_So Pheebs I'm thinkin' after the baseball game today we can go throw rocks at the-" She stopped in mid-sentence and in her tracks as she came to the last step and saw that the visitor wasn't Phoebe at all. "A-Arnold?"_

"_Hi, Helga." Arnold was sitting on the little bench next to the stairs, looking a bit nervous. _

_What was he doing here? The past few days since they'd come back from San Lorenzo, he had spent it with his parents, to catch up on lost time. Because of it, she and him didn't get a chance to talk about what had happened before they'd left, much to her dismay. But of course, she wanted him to have fun and be with his family for a while, and would never stand in the way. She was happy for him, glad that he finally had his parents home, safe and sound. But why was he here now?_

"_What are you doing at my house, football head? I thought you'd be off spending time with your parents." Helga wanted to know._

"_I have been, and it's been great. We've really-" Arnold began._

"_HEY! Keep it down in there! I'm trying to watch my soap!" Big Bob yelled from the living room, cutting the poor boy off and scaring him while annoying Helga._

_The two of them stood there, looking away from each other. Helga finally turned to him then, taking initiative. He wanted to come over and talk, obviously, so she decided to just get this over with and hear him out._

"_Come on, we can sit outside."_

_Helga opened the door, and they went to sit outside on the front stoop. Arnold sat on the top step, and Helga sat one step below next to him._

"_So..." Helga said, trying to reiterate to what they were talking about earlier. "Is it weird, y'know, having parents again?"_

"_Well, it's... different." Arnold said thoughtfully, looking up at the sky with a content smile. "Different in a really good way. It's been really cool getting to know them in the past week. I...I guess for the first time in my life, I don't constantly feel like I'm missing something."_

_Helga looked toward him with a small smile. "Hey, that's great to hear, Arnoldo. Glad to know that everything is finally working out for you."_

_She looked away then, and Arnold looked at her, wide-eyed for a moment. He smiled then, his gaze half-lidded._

"_Yeah...almost everything."_

_Raising one side of her eyebrow, Helga looked at him then, puzzled. What could he possibly be missing now? He had his parents, his grandparents, all his friends, he was home in Hillwood...what now? What could he be missing? _

"_Huh? Sheesh, football head, what's missing now?"_

_Arnold blushed then, rubbing his arm. "Um..."_

_A moment of silence passed, but Helga was then taken aback when Arnold skooched down to the step she was sitting on._

"_Helga, the reason I came over is because, well, I've really missed hanging out with you the past few days, and, uh..." He blushed again, now sitting beside her. Could this possibly mean...? "...Would you maybe want to go see a movie or something tonight? With me?"_

_Helga blushed, her eyes widening slightly. "Y-You mean...like a date?"_

"_You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought that we haven't gotten to talk much since were...um...interrupted." Arnold admitted._

"_Oh, I thought we were gonna forget about that, uh, THING in the jungle. Y'know. Like we did with the whole FTi thing." Helga rubbed the back of her neck in a nervous manner._

"_I don't think I want to forget about it." Arnold murmured, his hand slowly moving to rest on top of hers on the stoop. "...Do you?" He blushed a bit, smiling sheepishly at her._

_Helga looked down and saw what he was doing."...No." She admitted softly, blushing a bit._

"_Um...good."_

_Once more, the two of them were silent, just sitting there on Helga's front stoop, trying to decide what to say next._

"_So..."_

"_So..."_

_Helga looked at him then, and crossed her arms over her chest and gave a playful, light smirk. "...About that movie... I think I'm gonna have to take you up on that, hair boy. As long as you're buyin'. Nothing on the cheap, ya know."_

"_Of course, Helga." Arnold smiled, his eyes half-lidded, and inconspicuously skooched closer to her on the step._

"_Hehe, cool." Helga giggled, blushing a bit as she tugged at her collar._

_Arnold came closer to her, blushing a bit himself. "Cool."_

_Before Helga had time to think, or even absorb this little change in their...well, moment, Arnold had taken a bold chance and leaned over to her, kissing her on the lips, and holding her shoulder as he did so. It was brief, but it was very sweet and succeeded at turning her insides into jello._

_They turned away from each other, both blushing, but were inwardly jumping with excitement. At least, Helga showed it more, while Arnold was trying to keep cool, but his face was completely betraying it._

_SLAP!_

_Helga quickly slapped herself on the cheek, surprising Arnold then._

"_Um, Helga?"_

"_I was makin' sure I wasn't dreaming, Arnoldo. Just a precaution."_

_Arnold gave her a weirded out smile, unsure of what to say to that. "Whatever you say, Helga."_

_Before long, now off the stoop, they were walking down the street together, holding hands. Helga was along the left side of Arnold, walking with a bounce in her step as if she were floating on air. She couldn't believe this was really happening: Arnold had truly returned her feelings and kissed her again (brief but sweet). And now here they were, walking down the street together and holding hands like a real boyfriend and girlfriend. _

_It was since that moment on her front stoop, yet again, that their lives were never the same._

...

Ever since that moment, Arnold and Helga had been a couple. While they still kept their relationship in low key at school, there were a few people who accepted their relationship: Phoebe had known about Helga's secret feelings for Arnold for years and was only too happy that Helga had feelings of love for Arnold that were finally reciprocated by him. Gerald was initially weirded out by it, but he gradually accepted it because he felt happy that his best friend finally found a girl he truly loved, even if it was Helga G. Pataki! And even Lila was happy for them, especially since she had a hunch that Helga liked Arnold a long time ago, even before Helga had actually confessed her secret about Arnold to her (Lila). She was also happy that Arnold had finally found a girl he truly loved. Since Lila was no longer in Helga's way of having Arnold's affections, the two of them were even gradually becoming good friends.

Since they had mended things between them, Arnold and Helga started doing things together like any couple did. They spoke on the phone, hung out with each other at the other's house, and even went on dates, such as the movies, exchanging study dates at their homes, eating out for lunch or dinner, and having picnic meals (including sharing pizza at each other's house or meeting for real picnics at Mighty Pete). Even at school, they would do little things, like walk to class together (and they held hands while they did so), eat lunch together (and sometimes if her mother didn't make her lunch or give her enough food, Arnold would offer Helga some of his food or buy her lunch), and exchange little notes in class. Sometimes they would walk to and from school together, get a ride from Miles and Stella in the Packard, or take the bus and sit next to each other when they did.

Arnold and Helga would get very affectionate with each other, more so when they were alone. She would often snuggle up to him and rest her head on his shoulder if they were watching a movie together or just simply sitting down together in contended silence. He would then put his arm around her and she would lean into him even more and put her hand on his chest. Sometimes he would put his other arm around her and bring her into a hug, and she would return the action. They often hugged whenever they greeted each other or parted ways. And even though Arnold kissed her back in the jungle to help show her that he felt the same way, he got used to the feeling of kissing and liked it even more as time passed. Helga especially loved to kiss Arnold on the lips and Arnold loved to kiss her anywhere he felt was appropriate. Whenever they would snuggle, he would kiss her on the forehead, the shoulder, or the neck, but when they were sure that they wanted to, they kissed each other on the lips because they wanted to.

And now, at this moment of them doing their assignment together, Arnold just continued to look at Helga as she sat at his computer, still browsing the online Encyclopedia. A lovesick smile formed on his face and he went up to her, standing behind her as he continued to stare down at her.

Helga was still very wrapped up in the material she found online. Not noticing that Arnold was directly behind her, she said, "So I found some stuff I think we could use, and hey, they even have some excerpts from books and stuff, we could quote them if we wanted to give a little extra info on our poster thing and-"

Helga stopped talking as she realized what was going on just then. Without warning, Arnold had randomly started kissing her neck, moving the kisses from one area to one another on the left side of her body. He also kissed her a few times on the shoulder, the cheek, and the temple. Helga began to melt and didn't dare ask why he was kissing her for no reason; she just let out a soft lovesick sigh and a dreamy half-lidded look as her beloved continued to kiss her. He soon brought his arms around her, with his right arm going around her waist and his left arm coming down from her left shoulder. Helga melted even more as he did this, and to take it a step further, she brought her arms around his arms. She wrapped her right hand around his left arm, then brought her other hand to her waist so she could hold his hand there. He moved to her right side and started kissing her neck and shoulder again, and Helga continued to keep her arms around his arms as she lost count of how many times Arnold kissed her as they held each other.

To Helga, no moment with Arnold was more perfect than the one they were in right now.

She was disappointed when he quickly broke away and removed his arms, but to make it better, he turned the chair around to look at her. As their eyes met, he didn't speak as he moved in forward and kissed her on the lips. Although it was brief, he did it again, kissing her a little longer than before. He continued to kiss her a few more times on the lips after that. They were a little forceful, but they were passionate nonetheless. Helga was too happy to speak, so she only reciprocated his kisses as he continued. Then he brought his hands to her face and stroked her cheeks as they started kissing more passionately than before. Arnold soon moved his hands down to her shoulders and held her arms as he began kissing her neck again. As he did so, Helga brought her arms around his middle and moved her in head in motion everytime he kissed her.

Helga felt so much in heaven with Arnold at this moment that she didn't want it to end.

Unfortunately, it did.

"Kimba, Eleanor, lunch will be ready in ten minutes." Arnold suddenly heard Gertie call loudly from the other end of the closed door.

He and Helga had been so lost in their kissing that they jumped with shock and abruptly stopped when they heard Gertie call them.

Arnold called back, "Okay, Grandma, we'll be right down."

"Okay, Kimba." Gertie called back, then she retreated down the stairs.

As they heard the footsteps retreat, Arnold and Helga looked at each other again.

"Sorry we were interrupted, Helga," Arnold apologized sheepishly, rubbing his arm.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too," Helga said. Then she looked at him with a little smirk and asked, "What was that for, anyway, Arnoldo?"

Arnold smiled back and answered, "No reason. I just felt like kissing you and holding you at the same time." He saw Helga's face light up when he said those words. Then he continued, "Can't I do that to my girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought I was the one who didn't give short kisses," Helga replied.

"Ooooh, touché."

Helga giggled. "But seriously, I loved that. Thanks, football head."

"You're welcome, angel," Arnold smiled. Then he looked her in the eye again, never taking his eyes off her eyes off hers as he said boldly and honestly, "I love you, Helga."

Helga felt tears briefly sting in her eyes when she heard Arnold's last words. She was practically speechless, but she managed to reply, "I love you, too, Arnold."

He leaned forward like he did before and they kissed again, repeating the same passionate kisses before they finally broke away reluctantly from the lack of oxygen. Arnold helped Helga out of the chair, and they held hands as they left the room and headed downstairs for lunch.


	2. At the Zoo

**NintendoGal55: Hello and welcome back everyone! :D Thanks a lot for the feedback and everything you've given here on this story, it means a lot! We're so glad you guys are enjoying it. We hope you'll enjoy this next part!**

**HAFanForever: I came up with this idea because I recently went to the zoo in D.C., and some of the info about the lions is the same from my trip.**

**You all know the disclaimer by now!**

**Oh yes, and also, we had to make some changes because of our account stuff, so now we'll be Forever Nintendo. Just keep it in mind! :D**

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Later on that day, Arnold had opted that they go to the zoo, to take some pictures of the lions and even study them a bit. They had originally planned on going tomorrow, but realized that they had free time for the rest of the day and decided to use that time today, and even just have a little fun and spend time together some more. Helga relented to the idea, and now the two of them were at the city zoo, walking around and observing the animals in their enclosures as they went along.

Among the crowd they walked, holding hands, catching some occasional glances from passerby. Arnold also had his camera on a strap around his neck, with a fresh roll of film, ready and waiting to snap some shots.

"There are the lions." Helga pointed to a nearby enclosure with her free hand. "Man, those poor things must be sweltering under all that fur. Wonder how they handle it all the way back in the African Savannah."

"Let's see if there's a zookeeper nearby. I heard that some cubs were just born and I thought that pictures of them would be good for our project." Arnold said eagerly.

As they got closer to the exhibit, Arnold and Helga saw a male with two females, but they didn't see any cubs. Confused, Arnold saw a zookeeper right near the interior portion of the exhibit and went up to him.

"Excuse me, sir." Arnold asked. "Are there any cubs here? My girlfriend and I were hoping to take some pictures for a school project, and we wanted to include the cubs."

The zookeeper, whose name was Larry according to his name tag, answered, "Oh yes, the cubs are back here inside the house of the exhibit. Sometimes, the mothers don't always feed them, so the keepers have to help do it, especially to help keep the cubs alive. We had the females get pregnant once before and the cubs did not last for more than a few weeks. We've got three of them, and since I've trained with lions before, I know how to handle them. Would you like to come see them?"

"Oh yes." Arnold and Helga replied simultaneously.

"Great, then follow me."

Arnold and Helga followed Larry into the house, and sure enough, there were three cubs wrestling and playing together in a little fenced area where they could be safe.

"Awww that's so cute!" Helga exclaimed as she watched them playing. "Even their little baby snarls and growls sound cute!"

"Listen, Larry," Arnold began. "Do you think that since you're a handler for these animals, would it be okay if we got some pictures of us with these cubs? I mean, I know they're natural predators and that they might be a little bit dangerous at this age, but is there a way?"

"I think I can help you out." Larry nodded. "I've worked with the big cats for years and I know how to handle them, even the cubs."

Arnold grinned. "Great! Well, I think we want to get some shots of us with the cubs if you could take those for us, then I'll take some shots of the cubs alone, and I'll take some with Helga and the cubs, then she'll do the same with me and the cubs." He turned to Helga. "Sound okay to you?"

Helga laughed. "Sure, whatever floats your boat, football head."

It took a little more than fifteen minutes for Arnold and Helga to get all the shots they wanted with the cubs. At the beginning, Helga was a little nervous when she got into the fenced area with the cubs as she didn't want to get scratched or bitten. But Larry was in the fence with her and assured her that as long as he was here, they weren't going to hurt. Helga began patting and stroking one of the cubs and it responded very well with a loud purring. She initially hesitated in picking it up, but when she wrapped her arms around its belly, it didn't object and just kept purring, especially when she held it to her chest and began stroking its fur.

When Helga finally put the cub down, it stopped purring, like it had really enjoyed itself and was disappointed that it was over. So she tried petting it again and the purring resumed. She even scratched it belly and its head and it moved its head as she did so. She even swore that she saw the cub smiling as she petted it.

Arnold noticed everything that was going on with Helga and made sure he got a lot of pictures with her and the cub. He also took some of the cubs that were with Larry and some other shots included only the cubs and even a shot of each individual cub.

Arnold wanted his turn with the cubs and gave the camera to Helga. He decided to try and bond with the same cub that Helga interacted with, and sure enough, the cub took to Arnold just as quickly as it took to Helga. He did everything she did with the cub, scratching its head, rubbing its belly, and just simple petting.

Larry laughed at what he saw. "Wow, I never saw Luke take to two other humans so quickly."

"You named the cub Luke?" Helga asked.

"Sure, all of the cubs have names, and so do the parents." Larry answered. "The other two cubs are named Leona and Lionel. Their mother is Sandy while Luke is the only cub of Sara. The male is named Shadow and he fathered all three of the cubs."

"Oh yeah, I know that lions are among many wild animals who can have several mating partners in life, and since prides only include on or two male lions, they will mate will several of the females within the same pride." Helga remarked.

Larry chuckled and turned to Arnold. "Your girlfriend sure knows her stuff, young man."

"Yeah, she sure does." Arnold grinned sheepishly. "Well, I think we've got everything we wanted with the cubs. We're just gonna go back outside and take a few pictures of the adult lions."

"Take care, and glad to help." Larry waved as Arnold and Helga left the house and made way to the exhibit where the lions were publicly displayed.

The three lions were hanging close together, and they were all lying down and one of the females seemed to be sleeping.

Arnold removed the camera from his neck and took a few pictures of the three lions together, but he also wanted to get a shot of the male alone and one of the two females together.

Once they were done, Helga said to Arnold, "Hey Arnold, I'm feeling a little thirsty. I'm gonna get a drink from over there." She pointed to the closest water fountain.

"Okay, I'll just wait right here and look at the lions some more."

"Suit yourself, football head."

But Arnold really just wanted to stay behind so he could stare at Helga from far away when she wasn't looking. While he stayed at the lions' exhibit, he looked to his right in Helga's direction. As she sipped the water from the fountain, his gaze became half-lidded and he smiled widely at her (even though she wasn't looking at him), going into a daze as if he was not really thinking about anything but her.

With the same expression still on his face, Arnold turned towards the lions and saw one of the females cuddling up with Shadow. For a moment, Arnold saw himself and Helga in the same positions as those lions and that only made him smile more. Since he had been together with Helga, his grandfather often teased Arnold about the relationship between him and Helga since it was very much like relationship he had with Arnold's grandmother when they were kids. He knew it was way too early for him to be thinking about marriage, but Arnold still sometimes smiled about the possibility of him and Helga getting married one day, and held a very warm feeling towards the thought ever since things had mended between them.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear Helga call him and grab his arm at the same time.

"Hey Arnold!"

Finally, Arnold came back to reality. "Oh, uh, sorry, Helga. I was just thinking."

"What else is new with you, hair boy?" Helga scoffed, but she smiled when she said it.

Arnold only smiled back. "I was just thinking about us, actually."

Her eyes widened. "...You were?"

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" His hand lowered down to hold her hand and squeeze it.

Blushing a bit, Helga gave a smile and looked away toward the lions. Arnold chuckled and stepped closer to her, leaning up on tiptoe to kiss her on the cheek. An unwitting giggle escaped the taller girl and she entwined her fingers with his. Even though she didn't say anything, he could tell she was really happy. Ever since they'd started going out, he'd noticed such a change in her behaviour. Yes, she was still the same old Helga, especially in keeping appearances up in school in front of their peers. But outside of that, she was a lot more open and tended to be herself, expressing whatever she was feeling. Even though it was all no surprise by this point, it was still interesting to see. Especially how one simple boy like himself could have such an effect on her. Yes, she did still have a lot of growing up to do and obstacles to overcome, but she was getting there at a good start.

A thought came to him then.

"Helga?"

"Yeah Arnold?"

"You were pretty cute, the way you handled the lion cubs back there. I think it's pretty cool when someone's good with animals like that."

"Well, doi, they're lions, football head! They could bite my hand off in one false move! Of course I'm going to be careful and gentle."

Arnold chuckled, despite the grotesque image implanted into his brain that was far too horrible to think of his love going through. "I know, Helga. That's true. But what I meant was, when a girl is so nice and caring with animals, it's...well, really nice to see. You know how girls really like it when a guy is good with kids?"

"Don't I know that."

"Well, I guess in a way that's kind of the same thing. I know animals aren't exactly babies, but they still deserve to be treated right and be raised properly."

Helga blushed a bit, looking back toward the lions. "So you like it when a girl is good with animals?"

"Yeah, and not just girls, but anyone, really. It shows a lot of compassion and caring in their hearts." Arnold admitted, and smiled. "I know you like Abner better."

"Hey! Well...I...I can't help it, that silly pig grew on me. Guess I kinda had to get used to him, since we're dating and all."

He squeezed her hand and scooted to stand closer to her, their arms touching. "I know it's different to get used to a pig, but I'm really glad you've made the effort to get along with Abner. It means a lot to me, it really does."

"I know. Abner's your little pet pig, a gift from the Green-Eyed people to your parents on their wedding day. Face it, Arnold, it was just the right thing to do."

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

"I don't know, you tell me, Football Head."

"Whatever you say, Hammerhead."

Helga gave a laugh and Arnold joined her moments later, before they went back to taking some more pictures of the adult lions.


	3. Photo Promises

___**HAFanForever: A part in this chapter is based on an episode of **__**I Love Lucy**____**. I have drawn up ideas from real-life events or episodes of my favorites TV shows.**_

___**NintendoGal55: I ain't got much to say...just enjoy! :)**_

___**Enjoy this chapter and remember the disclaimer.**_

___**XXXX**_

Helga was wandering the empty, lonely halls of P.S. 118, in bit of a sour mood. Anyone who looked at her on a daily basis would think she was in a bad mood, being a bully and all. But no, today she really was in a sour, foul mood.

It all just came to a head when she was yelling for Miriam to wake up this morning and ask if she'd made her lunch, which, of course, her mother did not. This resulted in Big Bob yelling at her to pipe down so he could watch his store's new commercial, which he had already seen about five times now. Helga, of course, yelled back, in no mood to deal with this, and he'd gotten mad enough as they argued and ordered her to leave the house.

Not like she had a choice, since she had school today. But right now, she didn't feel like sitting in class and learning about things she either already knew or didn't need to know. She didn't feel like being around anyone. She just wanted to wander the empty halls alone for a while, maybe go sit in a bathroom stall and wait until recess.

Coming to a stop, Helga heard footsteps somewhere off behind her. Great, now what? Who was out of class? Who was going to see her in the hall and either question why SHE wasn't in class, or recoil away from her in terror, or just give her a dirty look and walk past her?

She stood there, waiting for the person to just go. But the footsteps came closer, closer.

Great, someone was going to question her.

But then all of a sudden, the footsteps stopped abruptly and she heard someone leap from the floor, and then a pair of teal blue arms came around her from behind, and a football-shaped head snuggled against hers.

Helga's scowl immediately melted in a half-lidded, lovesick smile as she realized who was hugging her. Her mood lifted, and she forgot why she was even mad. Her beloved Arnold always had a way to make her feel better on any given day. She patted his hand, grateful for his presence.

"Hey Helga." Arnold said sweetly, still holding (and hanging) on to her as he smiled widely._ "I noticed you weren't in class and I saw you in the hall, you looked pretty upset. So I decided to cheer you up a bit."_

_Needless to say, she was more than cheered up._ Clasping his hand in her own, Helga replied, "Being hugged, kissed, or touched by you in anyway always cheers me up, football head!"

Arnold laughed as he snuggled his cheek into Helga's and continued holding onto her, like he never wanted to let go. Then he kissed her on the cheek, hoping that would help even more. Helga swooned lovingly, and was a little disappointed when Arnold finally let go and jumped down off her back.

Coming around to the front and facing her, Arnold gave a little smile. "Let me guess: you were upset because your mom didn't make your lunch again and your dad was watching a new commercial for his store and paid no attention to you, either."

Helga nodded sadly. "You're right on the money, Arnoldo."

Arnold took one of Helga's hands in his own, then began stroking the side of her face with his other hand, hoping to keep making her feel better.

"Don't worry, Helga. As long as you have me as your boyfriend, you can tell me anything, and I'll always be here for you."

Helga smiled again and put one of her hands on Arnold's (the one that was touching her cheek) and the other on his face as she leaned in and kissed him, all while he kept his hands on her.

When they pulled apart, they looked at each other lovingly, not really wanting to move from their current spot.

"Well, we should get to class now, before we get in trouble." Arnold finally spoke, breaking the moment of silence. "I'm sure you thought about not going to class earlier, but just remember: think about me in the class and you'll feel better."

"Okay, Arnold."

As they pulled out of their embrace, Arnold took Helga's hand, the one he was holding earlier, and they walked to the classroom together.

Once they got to the door, however, they pulled their hands apart, as they didn't want some of their classmates to think that they were walking to class together and have teasing at them start the moment they walked into the room.

Arnold opened the door, and Helga soon followed him, secretly beaming with delight at what happened in the past few minutes, considering how bad the morning started at home.

XXXX

Since Arnold had unexpectedly surprised her with that hug in the hallway, Helga had been feeling better for the rest of the morning. Now that she was Arnold's girlfriend and not just his romantic stalker, she felt happier than she had in a long time, even though her home life was still about as bad as it usually was.

It was lunch time, and although Helga still had no lunch or even money to buy food, Arnold came to her rescue once again and offered to buy her some lunch. Helga felt bad that Arnold would often share his food with her or buy her something, but he told not to feel that way. He said that since she was his girlfriend, he just wanted her to be happy, and seeing her happy made him happy, so that made Helga feel even happier as well.

At this moment, they were in the lunch line picking the foods they wanted to eat. As usual, they came across the very last tapioca pudding at the end of the line.

Arnold reached for the pudding at the same time he saw Helga reach for it, then they both pulled their arms back and laughed nervously.

"Go ahead and take it, football head. I know how much you love that kind of pudding." Helga offered her hand to it.

"No, you go ahead and take it, Helga." Arnold smiled and gestured in return. "You didn't have a lunch made this morning, so I just want you take the foods you really love for lunch, and I'm paying for it."

Helga only smiled back. "Oh Arnold, you're such a gentleman."

Arnold grinned embarrassedly. "Yeah, I know."

"You put all romantic gentlemen to shame." Helga winked before they moved on to go find a table.

They finally came to an empty table and sat down. Remembering that he had them with him to show her, Arnold pulled the now-developed pictures they took at the zoo out of his pocket. Sticking them in Helga's direction, he said, "Hey, I almost forgot. Last night, I picked up the pictures we took at the zoo."

Helga immediately grabbed them, which surprised Arnold, who continued holding onto them. "Oh, I was hoping we would get them developed soon! Let me see them!"

"Hey, hold on, I haven't looked at them, either!"

"Well, I don't want you to see them before I do!" She said as she tried to pull them out of his hand.

Arnold chuckled as he tried to keep his grip on the pictures before Helga could tug them out of his hand. "Well, Helga, then we'll look at them together!"

Defeated, Helga let go of the pictures. "Oh, all right." As Arnold started taking the pictures out of the envelope, she commented excitedly, "Man, I can hardly wait to see what they look like after all we went through taking them."

"What do you mean, _we_ went through?" Arnold frowned in a puzzled manner. "I took most if not all of the pictures of the lions, cubs and adults."

"Well yeah, but I was the one who had to keep petting Luke so he would stay calm enough for some good pictures." The moment she saw it, Helga snatched the first picture out of Arnold's hand before he could take a good look. She frowned at it. "Hey, what happened to this picture? It looks like there are two shots of Luke composed in one."

Taking a glance at it, Arnold shrugged embarrassedly. "Oh well, it's a double exposure, I guess. Must have messed it up during the development." He pointed at the second picture. "Well look, there's only one of him in that shot."

Helga frowned again as she took a closer look at the next picture. "Yeah, but that's so blurry!"

Sure enough, this shot was another bad one because it was out of focus. Helga scoffed as she handed the picture to Arnold. "You take wonderful x-rays, football head."

Arnold just rolled his eyes at Helga's remark and said sarcastically, "Hey, sorry, I guess sometimes I forgot to make sure the camera was in focus, and sometimes animals move a lot so it's hard to get a good picture."

Suddenly Helga's face brightened as she looked at the next picture. "Awwww, look!"

This one was much better than the first two, as it showed Luke on his back waving his paws in the air playfully.

Arnold smiled widely and took the picture from Helga. "Isn't that great? Hey, I am a good photographer after all!"

"Oh, I'll say you are! Awww, look, here's another terrific one!" She showed Arnold the picture that included Luke and his two siblings.

"That's so adorable! Look at the spot patterns they have on their backs. They're all different; that's probably how they can tell them apart, especially the boys."

"Yeah probably." Helga said. As they finished looking through the pictures, with the majority of them having turned out well, Helga came to one final picture - which didn't include any of the lions. She frowned and said, "Hey Arnold, where did this picture come from?"

Arnold gaped at it and started to blush. It was a picture of him and Helga kissing. He suddenly remembered a moment back at the zoo when he spoke to Helga privately and they kissed. He realized he didn't have his camera on him at that moment, so Larry must have had it and secretly took a picture of them when they were in their…moment.

He laughed uneasily. "Uh, I…well, I guess Larry still had my camera before we left the lion's house and he secretly took that picture of us when we weren't looking." He laughed again. "Sorry…"

Helga shrugged. "Oh well, I guess it's no biggie…" She smiled deviously as she finished, "As long as I can keep it."

"Fine. But I like it, too, so I'll make a copy."

"Fair deal." Helga started gathering the pictures and put them back in the envelope. Then she said, "You know, Arnold, looking at these pictures of baby lions makes me think of something."

"What's that?"

"Well, have you ever noticed how parents often fuss over their new babies and when they take pictures of them, they always want to take out the pictures and inflict them on others, insisting they look at them? Don't you think that's boring?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I guess it's different if they're baby pictures of a family member or close friend. But strangers or people you don't like…that's different."

"Since we're on the subject, can I ask you to take a vow with me?"

Arnold crossed his arms. "What kind of vow?"

"Just that if there's a chance that we ever marry and have a child someday, that we won't inflict his or her pictures on other people."

Arnold smiled a little. Since she loved him like she did, he had a strong hunch that Helga would have had dreams of the two of them getting married and having children someday, so he was not very surprised that she brought up this subject. Since it seemed mutual, he began to have an even warmer feeling at the idea of it happening in their future. Smiling wider, he stuck his hand out for her to shake. "Okay, it's a vow."

Helga stuck out her own hand and shook his. "Good." Then she smiled.

Realizing they barely touched their lunches since they looked at the pictures, Arnold and Helga started eating quickly before lunchtime was over, especially Helga, since she hardly had any breakfast.

Before they were finished, Arnold turned to Helga. "Um, Helga, are you doing anything tonight?"

She looked over at him. "Why do you ask, football head?"

"Uh, because I wondered if you wanted to see a movie with me…or at least do something with me."

Helga sadly smiled. "Arnold, I would love to, believe me, and we being together has made me happier than I've ever felt in my life…"

"But…"

"But…the truth is, I'm scared."

Arnold was a little puzzled. "What scares you, Helga?'

"Just the fact that we're together now scares me because of my reputation, even if I am shedding my defenses some. A lot of the kids in our class have already suspected something going on between us, and I'm really worried about being teased if they discovered the truth. I remember in preschool, the moment I showed signs of liking you, Rhonda, Sid, Stinky, and Harold were the ones who teased me the most. And the four of them are bound to tease me again, especially Princess, who would definitely spread hot gossip about our relationship. And I just don't know how to handle teasing. I became a bully so that people would fear me and not ever dare to tease me. If those four ever discovered how nice I really am, they might think I'm a pushover and take advantage of me. I always told myself that Helga G. Pataki takes lip fro no one! I guess the other part is that I don't want them to tease you. They wouldn't accept our relationship; they think we're just polar opposites who aren't meant to be. They just don't see me the way you did and still do. I bet Princess would even think you match up better with _Lila_!"

Saying that last word made Helga want to cry. Arnold put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it gently. "Well Helga, I can understand why you feel this way, especially with the fear of being teased. And while those kids are my friends, I do think they can be jerks sometimes. They're not my best friends, not the way Gerald is my friend. Never mind about Lila, I'm well over her now, and I know well enough that she would accept our relationship. Phoebe does since she's your best friend and Gerald's learned to accept it, too. But Helga, this is all why I see that you need me. You should know that it's not important what the others think, just what you and I think. And since we love each other, we shouldn't let the others opinions' stop us from spending time together."

Helga's face brightened and smiled a little. "Arnold, you truly are a Saint. How do you know the best advice to offer and what to say to make me feel better about us?"

Arnold just shrugged. "Just natural, I suppose. Now how about that movie? What do you say?"

Helga brought her hand to her chin and scratched it thoughtfully, pretending to think, then she smirked lightly. "Mmm…Okay. And because of your heartfelt speech, hair boy, I'll buy the tickets this time, but you buy the snacks."

"You got it, Helga." Arnold smiled. "So why I don't I meet you in the theater at 7:00?"

"Sure, whatever floats your boat, football head." Helga laughed.

At that moment, the bell rang and everyone started to get up and head out the doors for recess. Arnold and Helga were the last people in there after everybody left, and they smiled at each other and joined hands before walking out the doors together.


End file.
